Secreatary defends water district

Dear editor:

I have been Secretary of Mellen Sub Water District since July 2005.

I was hired by Bart Eben when he was president. When I started I immediately got everything (records, paperwork, etc.) dumped in my living room. He had confiscated these records from the previous secretary's house in Glenns Ferry. Please note some of the previous year's records were missing. It took a long time for me to sort and organize everything, and when I had questions Bart didn't have very many answers. I was basically on my own to figure out everything.

Then came December 2005, and Bart decided he didn't want to be on the board anymore. He tried talking anyone he could into taking his place, he didn't care who. Finally Art accepted the offer.

I have to tell you Mellen Sub Water has never run so smooth. He has updated the wellhouse, replaced old non-working equipment. Replaced the chlorinator from dangerous gas to a safe tablet chlorinator. He has brought everything up to specifications required by DEQ. The inspection was during Bart's term, and never addressed. He read the by-laws, and made sure we were following them.

As for all the board members all they do is attend a short meeting every month, and get paid for it. Whenever a customer has a problem, leak, etc., I call Art, and he checks on these things. When I need a meter reread he does that for me. He is always in direct communication with the wellhouse operators to make sure everything is running correctly.

As far as the new candidates, Denny and Eben have been to a meeting, as far as I know the other three new candidates have not attended a meeting. If they were so interested in Mellen Sub Water District, why haven't they?

There was no election during Bart's term, which there should have been. He blamed the previous secretary, but you must know that the board of directors are responsible for everything regarding Mellen Sub Water. It is their responsibility that the secretary does everything she is supposed to do. The taxes, elections, etc., get done. In fact for two years 2003 and 2004 taxes were never filed, resulting in approximately $5,200 in penalties. I tried to recover the money, but could not.

Janet M. Donahue